Thursday, January 31, 2008

The Painful Beauty of Womanhood

I am often inclined to kill Eve.

"So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate.... To the woman he said, 'I will greatly multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children.'"

He wasn't lying.

Most of us (girls) have experienced some of the result of this punishment (and I dare say hope to experience the full result; let's put this into perspective, shall we?). The world tells us that we really shouldn't have to bear it. In fact, it tells us not to bear it. I mean, who really wants to be debilitated for two or three days or more every month? Who wants to not be able to function normally, who wants to be barely able to move and yet must move because of things to do and places to be? Who likes not being able to eat for wanting to vomit or simply smelling food and wanting to vomit? Who wants to miss class or work or anything every time "that time" rolls around? Who wants to do this, especially when there are options that allow it to be completely avoided? Not I, I can tell you that for sure.

I'm not saying it's wrong to treat the pain. I would never say that. I almost think it's more wrong to not treat it, especially if it is regularly extreme. But when the treating it becomes thinking of it as a horrible burden and hating being a woman, when the pain stops being treated and it begins to be the functions themselves that are being treated, then perhaps we should re-examine our way of thinking about it.

Even if we must think of it as a burden, we should remember that God's idea of a burden is an oppurtunity to love Him and to love others. Human suffering is not without purpose. And I have to think that a suffering given to one sex rather than both is a special kind of suffering. It is, of course, a suffering in tune with our nature (for God could never make us not in tune with our natures), one that reaffirms the vocation of women.

Love is suffering. The ultimate example that we have of this is Christ. "No greater love is there than this: to lay down one's life for his friends." That's kind of what's asked of us. Only we aren't to die- as much as we may feel that death is coming, but to live (as women) for our friends, our family, our (potential, future... lol) spouses and children. We give up our bodies for those we love. I never thought I'd say it and I never EVER thought I'd write it, especially not in a public space, but the period is a beautiful thing. It is an oppurtunity to love by suffering. It reminds me of some words in one of my most favorite prayers ever (which I'll post at the end) "and only this love, grounded on suffering, can carry the Cross of my Lord Jesus Christ. Love without egotism, without relying on self, but enkindling in the depth of the heart an ardent thirst to love and suffer for all those around us: a thirst that neither misfortune nor contempt can extinguish..." And we have a chance to love like that, to use basically our entire lives as a way of showing love.

And it's from this type of suffering that life comes (which, of course, brings a different type of suffering, a type about which I can say nothing, because I know nothing). And even for those women who do not have children, life can spring from this suffering because she can still care for others and live for others in a way that brings them to Christ and, hence, to Life.

There is testing going on for a drug that suspends the period indefinitely. As much as I think I'd like to say "wow, how wonderful!" I'm much more wary of what this will do to women. And to men. Forget the physical side effects, which I doubt I could begin to imagine (really, how screwed up would your body be after that?) what are the psychological effects going to be? I'm reminded of a (dun dun dun) Chesterton quote: "Do not free a camel of the burden of his hump; you may be freeing him from being a camel." Women have already been "freed" from the burden of fertility- the results of being a woman. And now they can be free from the burden of being a woman. This means that men no longer have to be men. They have been "freed" from the burden of responsibility and now they can be free from the burden of impatience and respect.

But if we suffer ourselves to be women, then we suffer for women and for men and for God's kingdom- for Life.


This prayer was written by Blessed Miguel Pro. He was martyred in Mexico in November of 1927.
Does our life become from day to day more painful, more oppressive, more replete
with afflictions? Blessed be He a thousand times who desires it so. If life be
harder, love makes it also stronger, and only this love, grounded on suffering,
can carry the Cross of my Lord Jesus Christ. Love without egotism, without
relying on self, but enkindling in the depth of the heart an ardent thirst to
love and suffer for all those around us: a thirst that neither misfortune nor
contempt can extinguish... I believe, O Lord; but strengthen my faith... Heart
of Jesus, I love Thee; but increase my love. Heart of Jesus, I trust in Thee;
but give greater vigor to my confidence. Heart of Jesus, I give my heart to
Thee; but so enclose it in Thee that it may never be separated from Thee. Heart
of Jesus, I am all Thine; but take care of my promise so that I may be able to
put it in practice even unto the complete sacrifice of my life.

P.S.- It's Saint Brigid's feast day.

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